


After you've gone (and left me crying)

by Fuck_The_Gods



Category: Spartacus Series (TV), Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Vengeance
Genre: Agron is dead, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Duro is alive, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-25 21:54:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10773216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuck_The_Gods/pseuds/Fuck_The_Gods
Summary: Agron sacrified himself to save his baby brother and Duro is left alone with his grief, lost and hurting until a former slave is willing to listen to his pain.Being a slave since he was a child,Nasir never believed in love. That is until he feels himself falling for a man through the memories that his brother has of him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter was so difficult for me to write. Writing Agron's death was surely the harderst and most painful thing I've ever written so far.
> 
> As usual this is unbeta'd and English isn't my first language.
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreaciated, enjoy! <3

"I save you again, brother", Agron said with a weak smile before he choked on his own blood in a cough as he lied in his brother's arms.

Duro craddled his big brother's face, trying to soothe the lines of pain from his features with his thumbs. It won't be long now, the sword pierced Agron's chest with purpose and even Agron was not strong enough to survive such an injury, all the more since there wasn't a Medicus around to help stop the constant flow of blood.

"You are a fool", Duro whispered through clenched teeth, his voice wavering as he tried not to break in front of his brother.

"I am your brother", Agron rectified, "what big brother would I be if I failed to protect you", he croaked out before spiting more blood. He took a ragged breath then another in quick succession. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe and Duro could tell it costed much to Agron to do so.

"Stay with me, Agron!", he said when he realized his brother's eyes started to wander aimlessly, unable to focus on the same point for more than a few seconds.

Agron blinked and finally focused his eyes on his brother again. He then smiled, a quick crooked smile before it faded. Slowly, Duro watched the features on his beloved brother relax. First his lips, returning to a neutral line. Then his eyebrows that were furrowed in pain until now softened again.

Duro drowned himself into his brother's eyes as life left them. His eyes, once so green and full of life and mischief, were turning empty before him; that ever present sparkle that used to brighten them was slowly but ultimately fading out and Duro could do nothing to stop it. He could do nothing but stare, helpless, as Agron's body went limp in his arms.

"Agron?", he whispered. No response. "Agron?", he called again a little louder as if the volume of his voice was the reason for Agron's silence. Duro started to panic then, he shook his brother in his arms, begging him to open his eyes, to come back and stay with him but Agron went still, his half- lidded eyes fixed on his little brother's, devoid of everything but death and emptyness.

A broken sob escaped Duro's lips then, small and weak, before another followed a little louder, and then another and another until Duro couldn't stop them and his sobs went louder still. His tired body shook with the force of them. He tightened his hold on his brother, wrapping his arms around him as he brought his forehead against Agron's. Sobbing still, he started to rock their bodies together while whispering to his brother, his tears falling on to Agron's face and erasing the traces of blood from his now peaceful features.

He didn't know how much time he spent like this, nor did he care to know. Here in the middle of the ludus' training yard, he felt lost. He WAS lost. He brother was dead. His last connection with the lands East of the Rhine, his last kin was gone forever and nothing else mattered.

In the distance he could hear the evidence of a battle still going on somewhere within the walls of the villa and after some time silence came before he heard roars and cries of joy. Batiatus fell at last, he understood. But Duro couldn't bring himself to be happy about it. One life wasn't nearly fucking enough. His heart demanded more. More blood, more Roman blood. He would kill them all, he decided, one by one, to avenge the death of his brother. He would kill the fucking Republic and bring Rome to its fucking knees.

Lost in his thoughts of death and vengeance, he didn't hear Spartacus and the surviving gladiators ans slaves coming down the stairs and entering the yard. He didn't hear careful footsteps approaching him from behind. He flinched violently when he felt a tentative hand on his shoulder, jerking the offending hand away with a movement of the shoulder, refusing to let go of Agron.

"Duro?", he heard Spartacus call his name softly.

He didn't bother to respond. He wanted to be left alone. No, that wasn't true, he didn't want to be alone. He wanted his brother, he wanted to be with him just like old times. Oh how he missed those blissful days in Germania when he and Agron spent most of their time running around across their village, making fools of themselves in front of the pretty girls (and boys for Agron) they only wanted to impress, exasperating their mother for not acting like the grown men they were and not taking anything seriously.

But just like Agron, those moments were lost forever.

A shadow suddenly hid the last rays of the setting sun from his face. Knowing that Spartacus would not leave him to his pain, Duro eventually lifted his head and looked at his friend with puffy red eyes. He wanted to cry again when he realized that his agony was actually reflected in the Thracian's face.

"Duro?", he said again, his voice low and soft like always. "What has happened?", he asked cautiously as he knelt before him, his hand returning to his shoulder.

He accepted the touch this time. He took a deep breath and another before he felt that his voice would be steady enough for him to speak.

"He came from fucking nowhere. Most of the others were already making their way inside the villa so we were alone. Or so we thought. Everyone around us laid dead or dying and we were celebrating when...", he trailed off, the memory still too raw and painful in his mind. But after a moment he forced himself to continue, "when he came from fucking nowhere. I had my back on him so it was Ag-Agron", he choked on his brother's name, "who saw him first. He pushed me out of the guard's way and I fell to the side. When I...when I looked up he...when I...", Duro couldn't continue. It was too damn hard. He tried to breathe again to regain a semblance of composure but his breathing only came out more shallow and ragged and his eyes filled again with tears.

He felt the hand on his shoulder squeeze gently and that grounded him, like an anchor keeping him to the 'here and now' instead of the 'there and then'. He looked up to Spartacus and silently thanked him with a quick nod once his breathing evened out.

He continued after a moment, "I could do nothing to help him. I killed that shit but...it was too late and his sword...had already struck."

Silence fell after that. The others had joined them in the yard, laughing and relieved they came out of the massacre alive but they had quickly sobered up when they realized what was happening.

"There was nothing you could have done", Spartacus said. "Agron sacrified himself to save you, so you can--"

"Agron sacrified himself because I am weak!", Duro shouted, anger now sinking into his heart. "Because I am not good enough. I am but a pale shadow to what Agron is...was", he added with rancour, angry at himself for being a poor excuse of a man.

"At last the pup speak with sense", Crixus said suddenly.

"Crixus!", Spartacus growled as he turned towards the man with furrowed brows, "you are not helping".

Duro didn't tear his eyes away from his brother as he said, "Let the Gaul talk, I do not care for his words". Not when they were speaking the truth, he thought to himself.

"Spartacus, we must go now. We stayed here for too long already", Crixus demanded with a pressing voice.

Duro snapped his head up when he heard that. He reached out for Spartacus and grabbed his arm tightly. He winced slightly at the vice grip but Duro couldn't be bothered that he was hurting his friend. "We cannot abandon Agron here! I will not! I will not let him here to rot among those Roman shits!", he exclaimed forcefully while his eyes filled with desperation and he tightened his hold on his brother's corpse.

"And what do you suggest, then? That we carry him with us? He will be nothing but a dead weight, fucking litterally", Crixus said and Duro could hear murmurs of agreement from the other Gauls. "We cannot bury him either".

"Throw him over the cliff, his body will be too broken to be recognize as a slave if that is your concern", someone proposed.

Duro wasn't known to be prone to anger or rage. Short temper was usually Agron's prerogative. But this? This was too much. He let go of his brother's body and in a single movement, he turned around and launched himself to the idiot who dared to ill speak of his beloved brother. They crashed loudly to the blood-soaked sands, Duro already punching the man -Liscus, Duro believed was his name- into a bloody pulp. He screamed at the man's face while throwing punches with rage-fueled force. That rage was blinding him to his surroundings, he didn't know where he was anymore, didn't know how many seconds, how many minutes passed before someone grabbed him from behind and forcefully pushed him backwards, making him fall on his ass. Duro stood up quickly and turned to see it was in fact Crixus who interrupted him. Growling like a wild beast, he then turned his anger towards the Gaul and threw his fist at him. Crixus easily avoided it by bending down and in the same movement he swept his leg behind Duro's, making the younger man fall to the ground once again.

As he was about to get to his feet again, Spartacus approached him and pinned him down to the ground. "Regain sense, brother!", he pleaded with urgency. "Now is not the time to let yourself drown in your grief and lost mind".

"I do not give a shit! This fuck is going to pay for what he just said!", Duro retorted angrily, breathing heavily and eyes wide with fury as he fought against Spartacus' hold.

The Thracian looked over his shoulder before he returned his gaze on Duro. "The man has already paid", he simply said in a soothing voice in an attempt to calm the German down.

Duro looked back at Spartacus in confusion before he mentioned for the Champion of Capua to move away from him. After the man complied, slowly as though afraid that Duro would still attempt an attack on the poor bastard, Duro stood up and looked down at the man who dared to insult the memory of Agron. The Gaul, at least Duro believed he was a Gaul -for what other reason Crixus would have stopped the fight?-, was lying on the ground, blood profusely flowing from his broken nose. His right eye was also badly bruised.

Slowly he approached the man and out of the corner of his eye he saw Spartacus tense and take a step in his direction, obviously ready to hold him back again should he try to seek further quarrel. He stopped in front of the bloodied man and waited until he leveled his eyes to his to speak. "One day, I shall have your fucking head", he promised in a low and dangerous voice and turned away to rejoin his brother.

He felt Spartacus following him as he crouched down and took Agron in his arms again. "Crixus speaks truth on one point. We cannot stay here any longer, we have to go", he said and hurriedly added when Duro started to groan, "We will built a stretcher and put Agron on it. I will lend aid in the carrying".

Duro stared at his friend, stunned by the unexpected aid offering, but then he thought, the man was Spartacus. Always kind and gentle to the people that would offer the same to him in return; it was a wonder that the man hadn't turn bitter and distrustful after all he had gone through, after all the Romans had done to him, to his wife, to Varro.

Gratitude washed over him and unable to speak for he felt overwhelmed by it, he simply nodded his thanks to Spartacus, hoping the man would understand how grateful he truly was despite the simple gesture.

Spartacus nodded back. "Let's go then."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for rape attempt at the end of the chapter.

Tiberius stood in one corner of his Dominus' bedchamber near the doorway, his eyes looking in front of him at nothing in particular as his master fucked a house slave, Chadara. Without even looking at them, Tiberius could tell his master was experiencing difficulties to reach his peak. He could hear him grunting in frustration every two seconds as he tried to speed up the pace of his thrusts. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw him grab Chadara by her slave collar before he turned her over and re-entered her from behind as he grabbed a handful of her hair and resumed his thrusts.

The smell of sex and sweat was filling the room as well as the sounds of flesh slapping flesh but Tiberius didn't mind; not that he was allowed to. He was used to it. This was an almost everyday occurence; his master enjoyed to savour the flesh of his slaves on drunken nights and tonight was one of those.

Tiberius sighed, he was bored. Despite the late hour, there was still numerous things that needed to be taken care of before he could be allowed to rest for the night. But his Dominus always insisted that he remained with him whenever he fucked.

After yet another grunt of frustration his master barked, "Tiberius! I would finish, place cock in ass". And there was the reason why he had to stay by his Dominus' side.

He hadn't made a step towards him yet that suspicious noises were heard outside. The noises became louder and louder until he heard one that sounded like a clash of metal against metal. Swords, he realized.

His Dominus seemed to have gathered that as well because he ordered, "My robes! Quickly!"

Tiberius went to retrieve his master's clothes from where it had been discarded earlier on the bed and helped him to put them on. His master quickly tied his robes loosely before he made his way in the hallways of his villa. Tiberius followed him after a glance back at Chadara. The slave girl was slowly getting up from the bed and Tiberius noticed how she winced when she bent to gather her own clothing from the floor.

Tiberius felt sympathy for her. When drunk, their master was always rougher, his wine-clouded mind caring even less for what injuries he could inflinct on his slaves. As his body slave, Tiberius was less subject to such mistreatment. He had position in this house, that protected him in some way. An advantage that the more common slaves didn't have here.

He followed his master down the hallway that led to the main room of the villa but when they rounded the corner, his master was suddenly thrown back against the wall with incredible force. Tiberius jerked back with a shriek as several men appeared. They were massive, he noticed, very well built and carrying weapons. They spread into the hallways, barely stopping to kill the few guards they crossed path with. They were apparently very determined and Tiberius first thought they were bandits, but then one of them stopped to take a second look at his Dominus that was still leaning against the wall and holding his head in obvious pain. His master seemed to be the person they were looking for. The man started to approach his master and Tiberius wanted to intervene and protect him but a hand around his arm prevented him from doing so.

"Do not stand in the way if you value your life", the man hold him before he, along with another of the assaillants, went to grab Tiberius' Dominus to drag him in the direction of the courtyard.

Tiberius stayed there, not knowing what to do or think. He started to doubt those men were simple bandits. Bandits would not have make difference and kill everyone in their path. Yet, Tiberius could see the other slaves running, seemingly unharmed, into the courtyard following their Dominus.

He turned his head round when he felt a presence behind him and found Chadara standing there, eyes wide with shock and incomprehension.

"What is happening?", she asked as she moved to stand beside him.

"If only I knew", Tiberius sighed. "Come. They took Dominus to the courtyard", he informed her and together they started to run to join the others.

When they arrived, he saw the other slaves on one side of the courtyard and the intruders on the other, while his Dominus was on his knees, hold in the position by two strong men. Tiberius went to join his fellow slaves and listened, worried, at the man that stood in the middle. He was the leader, obviously.

The man knew how to make a speech, Tiberius had to admit that. He let his eyes wander over the man's form. He was tall, muscular but not overly so, fair of skin, and his eyes held much determination in them but also something else, something deeper that Tiberius couldn't put a name on. Then the man raised his right arm and his eyes went automatically on it and what he saw hit Tiberius hard with realization.

There was a mark branded on the man's forearm. In a shape of a B. Batiatus. His Dominus knew the lanista and his name was on every Roman's tongue as of late. Tiberius often heard his master's guests talk about what happened to him and his house while he stood in his Dominus' shadow. The massacre of the House of Batiatus had been the favorite subject of discussion for the last weeks. Just like the man who killed the lanista.

The man was called...

"I am Spartacus", the leader said.

And Tiberius understood then. These men were not bandits, they were the slave rebellion! He saw his master jerk his head up at the name and stare at the leader, Spartacus, with incredulous eyes. Tiberius knew that his Dominus wouldn't live long enough to see another dawn. It was said that the rebellion killed any citizen of the Roman Republic they came across and liberated their slaves in order to swell the ranks of the rebellion.

He felt fear as his Dominus was brought to his feet by the men who held him and was led inside the villa. Only the Gods knew what was going to be done to him, or to them. What was going to happen to them now? That man Spartacus had said that they were free now...but free to do what?

If he had no longer a master to serve, then what was the purpose of his life?

And if he was no longer a slave, then who was he?

He had fought to be in the position he was now, to be the body slave of his Dominus, to arise himself from the mere condition of a common slave. But now, all of this had been ripped from him...by Spartacus. All of this was his fault. He looked at the man as he talked with the other rebels in hushed tones, ploting, Tiberius supposed, before they all scattered away inside the villa.

Tiberius watched as some of them started to rummage and loot the goods of the villa. His blood boiled; who did they think they were to do this? They had no right. He couldn't bear the sight for one more second and so decided to move in one corner of the courtyard where he could stay alone with his thoughts. He turned to see if Chadara had followed him but she was nowhere in sight. He shrugged and resumed his walk; he was better alone anyway.

Respite seemed to be in short supply this day as a man approached him not long after he had sat down. He didn't like the look on that rebel's face as it was a mix of curiosity and undisguised lust. He tensed, ready to ripost if need be, though he doubted he held any chance against a man who by the looks of him had fought in battles and wars for most of his life.

The rebel stopped in front of him. "You are the body slave of your Dominus, are you not?", the man asked with a wicked smile.

"I was", Tiberius replied shortly. "Thanks to you and your kind, I am nothing now", he spat in resentment at the man. He was nothing now, that was true. He had no position anymore, no place and no purpose.

"You seek a new place in this world?, the man asked him as he moved closer, forcing Tiberius to stand and step back. "I have one for you. At the end of my cock", he added and grabbed Tiberius' neck and forced him on his knees.

Tiberius' eyes went wide as he realized what was happening. But Tiberius didn't plan to comply with that pig' desire so easily. He wasn't going to let himself fall that low. He was a body slave, not a whore. He tried to force the man away and pushed him but the rebel's grip on him was too strong and he could do nothing but go on his knees while the man started to remove his subligaria with his free hand.

As he thought he wouldn't be able to avoid this, the man was suddenly pushed back from him by another one of the rebel. The man went to stand between Tiberius and his fellow rebel.

"What the fuck are you doing, acting as if you are a fucking Roman?", the man shouted at the other. "Remove yourself from sight!", he added, shoving the other man back, apparently unfazed by the fact that Tiberius' aggressor stood several inches taller than him.

"Are you trying to command me here, pup?", the bigger man growled menacingly as he took a step forward in an obvious attempt to tower and intimidate him.

"Are you willing to risk that Spartacus learn of what you have tried to do here? I do not think he will be pleased", the dark-haired man retorted as he held his head high and glared at the man without fear.

The two stared at each other for several minutes and Tiberius took advantage of it to regain his bearing and evening his breathing out. After a time that felt like an era, the taller man turned around and left.

"Fucking Gaul", his savior growled as he turned towards Tiberius. "Are you well?", he asked.

"One of yours mistook me for a whore", Tiberius snapped.

"A mistake he will not make twice", the rebel promised. He took a moment to watch Tiberius, then lifted his arm towards him. "I am Duro", he said with a smile.


End file.
